The origins of Labor Day are more than a century old. The first Labor Day parade in New York City was held in September 1982. Two men are credited with playing an important role not only in bringing about the parade but the holiday as well. Matthew Maguire, a machinist from Paterson, N.J., and Peter J. McGuire, a New York City carpenter who helped found the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, are said to have suggested a holiday to honor working people in the United States.
In 1887, Oregon became the first state to make Labor Day a legal holiday, and in 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a bill making Labor Day a national holiday.
The Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and a picnic. It was celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City. Celebrations, sponsored by the Knights of Labor, included a 10,000 worker parade.
The date of celebration was chosen because it filled up the long gap between Independence Day and Thanksgiving.
Labor Day is observed as a legal holiday on the first Monday in September throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. In Australia, Labor Day is called Eight Hour Day, and it commemorates the successful struggle for a shorter working day. In Europe, Labor Day is observed on May 1, also known as May Day.